New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-03
FATAL WORK OF FIREWORKS.
TWO MEN BURNED TO DEATH IN A BROAD.
WAY STORE

TWO MEN BURNED 10 DEATH In a BROAD.
WAY STORE D.
RAPID SPREAD OF THE FLAMES AFTER AN HkPLo-
sIoN--sEvERAL FIRRMEN INJURED BY FALL
ING CORNICE-JOHN y. PLUMMkRs
PLACE ENDANGERED-nEAvYL LOSSES
An explosion of fireworks in the basement Of tho
fve-story brownstone building, No. 343 Broad way.
at p. m. yesterday, started fatal fire which de-
strOyed the buildinG and ITS contents. The entire
building was occupied by p. J. Keary 4 Brother,
importers and manufacturers Of toys Nr. Keary
and about twenty-five Of bis employees, including
three young women, were in the building when tho
explosion attracted their attention The firm
had stock of fire works in tho basement and after
the first explosion there was continued rattle Of
exploding bombs. rockets and crackers Fismes
darted up from the basement and
1bgan to spread through the building
Before the persons on the upper floors had
time to run out. There was general scramble for
safety and the din OF exploding fireworks was in
creased BY the shouts Of the clerks as they urged
each other out of danger
Among the first to get out were. Mr. Keary and
the three young women. One of the latter fell and
cut her hand in the rush out Of doors Mr.. Keary
led the way to iqror store in Whise-st and asked
clerks who among the last to ape said they
thought ali had escaped. A policeman had sent out
an alarm, and as soon as the first company of fire.
men arrived call for extra engines was sounded.
The rattle of works was still noticeable Chief
Shay, who soon arrived to direct the work Of the
remen. learned Of the rapid spread Of the flames AZ
the start and doubtful II all the employees had
escaped. His suspicious were correct.
few daring firemen who followed powerful
stream of water into the FIRST story Of the building
soon emerged. dragging out the body Of man who
had been burned to death. Most of the mans
clothing had been burned of aud his flesh was
burned to Q crisp. It was with some diff
Guilty that few Of Mr.. Kearys employees
who had renamed near the building recog nized
the body as that Of Albert Ellis, a stock clerk who
was on the third floor when the fire broke out.
Doubtless the man had tried hard to escape, but he
was overcome by the smoke and flames when he
the building. He was widower, forty years old,
with two children depending on him for support,
and lived at No. 227 East Eleyenth-st. A reporter
store and informed him Of the death Of Els.
II am astonIshed aud sorry" Mr.. Keary said.
,vu "i wa; just consratulatns myself that all had
e Is it not possible that some one else has been
burned upf"
mo, think not have understood that all
As the reporter returned to the Broadway front
Of the burning building the body of another
burned man was carried out dP sc ae%an oth.
George Hassler, q salesman who was on an upper
floor of the building when the tire started,
haseF so was Sd and lived
little over year and leaves widow aud one child.
The. two bodies were laid side by side on the
walk in front of No. 345 Broadway and covered
with apiece of oiled canvas white the iiremen con-
tinued their work. They looked more like heap
of tarpaulin than the remains OF two human beings
and many OF the hremen, not knowing what was
under the oiled canvas. frequently ran over them
IN their work. At 430 o'clock one OF the babies
was placed npon a stretcher and token 10 the
Leonard Street Police station. and half an hour
later the same disposition was made of the other
body.
ID looked for time as if the fire would spread to
the large building No 345. occupied by John +.
Plummer L. Co. and other dry goods firms. part
of the burning building extended to White.st. az
an :" l. behind No. $40.
Chief Shay was indignant on account of the pres
ence of fireworks in the dry goods district. 1t Is
a shame to let large stock Of such material stay
in district filled with valuable goods, ne said.
"The insurance mpaDies are TO blame" Before
p. M. IL was plain that the hremen could NOT save
the burning building. and that If there were any
more bodies In the flames they could not be rescued
The entire building was Quilted. Caief Shay
thought he would be able to save the adjoining
buildings.
S15O000 and il was total loss His insurance,
he thought. was over $4,000, and might reach
100000 The building was worth about $oO,0OO
and belonged TO L. j. NJ. Hale. who Is now IN Eu-
rope. Mr.. keary leased IL from an agent. whose
name he could not recolect. $500.
back of the iron building occupied By the Erie Ex-
press Company, on Leonard.st. and Broadway. ana
had an l. " addition which came out In Leonard,
Leonard-st with dense smoke. Washington Ryle
of Engine No. 80, who was at work on
this portion of the bui ding, was over
TO the engine house in an ambul auce. Jules BIS
bender who had charge OF the fireworks which
were stored IN the basement under the sidewalk,
said was on the ground floor selling fireworks,
as was all the others employed IN the store, when
heard crac: :lling coming from the fireworks unaer
the sidewalk. immediately seized BUCKET
which was kept at hand and rushed down INTO the
basement 1t was all atire and l rushed back out
on to the street.. l cannot account for tho cause
of the explosion" .
Hasser. whom he said was an intimate friend OF
his.
badly cut by falling glass. He was attended by
the ambulance surgeon and went home.
John Soiield and q number OF hremen were az
work on the top floor of No. 343, when suddenly
the flames sprang up all around them, and they
were Obliged to flee for their lives. Sohelds ruD-
ber coat caught fire and he was obliged 20 throw t
off When he reached the street he found That the
front of his fire hat bearing tine number of his COM
pany had been burned on. number OF hremen
were directing powerful stream into the hrst noor
when the hose got beyond their control and threw
them to the street. Among them was Foreman
John Finn, of Engine No. 20, who fell upon some
glass and cut deep cash his leg below che knee
His wound was dressed by the ambulance surgeon
and he walked home.
Every now aud then dull report would come
from the burning building. followed by volumes OK
dense binding smoks Then would follow a per-
feet fusilade of smaller, sharper reports.
After one Of these reports portion OF the heavy
metal comice became detached from the south cor.
ner of tine building and fell to the street with
crash which sounded above the DIN and roar OF the
fire. rush was made for the spot here 1t struck
and il was found that 1t had injured three hremen
in its fall. These were Daniel Bourne Assistant
Foreman Jacob Beckler and JOhp Rowan.
ali of Engine No. I3. Bourne Nsnstained
= confusion of the thigh and was taksnsto the
Chambers street Hospital Later he was removed
70 the New York Hospital He will recover. Beck
ler's hand was cut. His wound was dressed at the
Cham bers Street Hospital aud he walked home.
Rowan was cut about the head aud was taken 70
the engine house. -
John Wilmot. of Patrol Company No. 2, sustained
:, sayara coptusiou of ia knee and WAS carried to